The View From Mrs. Sundberg's Window

A table full up with Christmas

December 12, 2012

Listened to the show Saturday and it was not bad. I'd been out much of the afternoon shopping for groceries and supplies as there was that snow in the forecast, and really, none of us had ANY idea what THAT was to become. Seventeen inches we got here, and my gosh it was something. Sparkly flakes began falling Saturday night just after the show, and they grew in number and the wind picked up and the snow fell all through Sunday and into Monday. School was cancelled, and the kids were gleeful for a moment and then went back to sleep.

Mr. Sundberg spent much of Sunday in his orange snowmobile suit out shoveling snow, and I baked. All day. Seven pounds of butter, ten pounds of flour, five pounds of sugar, five bags of chocolate chips, and a bottle of almond extract later, there it was: a table full up with Christmas. Spritz cookies, frosted sugar cookie cutouts, Grandma's sugar cookies, peanut butter chocolate pebbles, almond bark pretzels, Russian teacakes, wheat thin peanut butter almond bark sandwiches, Chex mix (a double batch), a double batch of bran muffins, a recipe's worth of chipped beef dip with green peppers, taco meat for dinner, and a loaf of fresh bread. The preliminary round. Wide-eyed kids (what to eat first?) and a smiling Mr. Sundberg. "Well, you are one productive woman," he said.

When the snow is falling without pause and there's nowhere to go for a good twenty four hours, it's permission from the universe to have at it. As I've said, you create a scene, and inhabit it fully. Doesn't have to be in the kitchen, but that's my scene of choice. Apron included.

This is a newer recipe in my collection, and if you're as big a fan of dried cranberries as I am, this is your lucky day. Fans of orange extract, you might consider adding a few drops.

Cranberry Macadamia Nut Cookies

1 cup butter
1½ cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2¼ cups flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup macadamia nuts
1 cup white chocolate chips
1½ cups sweetened, dried cranberries

Cream butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add flour, soda and salt and mix.
Fold in nuts, chips, and dried cranberries.
Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet and bake for 9-10 minutes at 375.

Enjoy!

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